


Crybaby

by swansongbird



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Choking, Consensual Physical Abuse, Fluff, Humiliation, M/M, No Personas, No Spoilers, Power Play, S&M Dynamics, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-10-30 17:18:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swansongbird/pseuds/swansongbird
Summary: The Phantom Thieves are a secret group of high school casanovas who “steal” unhappy people’s hearts. They teach them how to be happy and live an optimistic life by showing them compassion and companionship. They have a rule that a target must have a change of heart in seven days. After it is done they must disappear and break all contact, as if they never existed.One day, Akira is assigned the task of changing the heart of the celebrity detective Goro Akechi.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> There's not enough Akeshu/Shuake fics out there or P5 fics in general and I got super sad because this pairing is my lifeblood.
> 
> Please enjoy!
> 
> EDIT: So I finally figured out the plot I wanted for this fic! While there is gratuitous smut in the first chapter here I can assure you we'll get some good plot.

Akira’s hair clung to his sweat covered forehead, he looked so weak staring up at the brunette while on his knees. And It didn’t help that he felt so much shorter when Akechi stood over him like this. He felt so pitiful with his face buried against the detective’s crotch. He wasn’t sure why he enjoyed it so much, it was so gross to love this, but his mind wasn’t in the right place and he didn’t care anymore. Akira inhaled deeply taking in the other boy’s scent, the faint musk of Akechi mixed with the sickeningly sweet smell of his cologne filled his head. He was beginning to feel high just off the scent of Akechi alone. The smell was intoxicating, it caused a slow prickling heat to run down his spine. Akira couldn’t stop himself from mouthing at the cloth that separated him from Akechi’s hard cock, his teeth glided across the fabric letting his tongue trail along with it.

 

“Look me in the eye properly,” Akechi commanded, lowering himself to whisper into Akira’s ear, “I want to see your beautiful face.”

 

Akira let out a shaky breath at the request and gave a faint smile at the compliment. He wasn’t sure if it was how high he felt or just his own nature, but he loved the sadistic side of Akechi that he was showing him. Akira’s crotch felt stifled in his now overheating boxer briefs and his rational side was beginning to falter. He obeyed the directions without hesitation and looked up with a needy gaze, all he could do was focus on his growing need to get himself off.

 

Akechi let out a light chuckle to himself, “Yeah, that’s the look. What would all your fans think if they saw the leader of the Phantom Thieves reduced to a pathetic mess like this?” He gave a light push to the dazed boy, making him jerk back and nearly fall over. Thankfully, he was quick enough to catch himself and instead fell back to rest on his hands. Akira knew how disgusting he looked with his hair a mess, his face covered in sweat, and saliva running down his chin, he stared back with a hurt expression at the other boy. Akechi gave him a sly grin and continued. “Hmm? Answer me!” his voice reverberated through the walls of the room.

 

Suddenly, Akechi shoved the heel of his foot against the other boy’s crotch. Immediately, Akira felt a shiver run through his body when he received the sudden jolt of stimulation against his achingly hard cock. His body jerked forward from the shock and he grit his teeth in an attempt to stifle his moan. Leaning forward, Akira’s weight was shifted onto the leg Akechi was using to assault him. He was nearly spent just from being stepped on, it was a sharp pain but it mostly made his body twitch and his heart skip a beat. Akira was so past his shame that the idea being beaten didn’t even phase him; he only wanted more.

 

Akechi scoffed, “You like this don’t you?” he leaned in and brought his index finger to the underside of Akira’s face to make sure they had full eye contact. “I can see it in your eyes. Fine, if you can beg for it, I’ll give you what you want,” Akechi ground his foot down with more force, it was nearly crushing his balls. Tears pooled around Akira’s eyes, the tightness in his belly grew; all this pain was sending him closer over the edge.

 

Akira knew he was in no position to argue or retaliate, Akechi had him wrapped around his finger. Akira just needed any sort of release and humiliation became the least of his worries. He swallowed deep and struggled out his words.

 

“A-Akechi, please...” Akira couldn’t conjure his signature smirk, he was so needy for the detective that he wasn’t even bothered by how pathetic he sounded.

 

“Please what?”

 

Akechi grinded his foot further, drawing out more whines from the boy and making him slump further down. Akira couldn’t feel anything but the bitter pain of the foot against him. His muscles were tense and his throat was straining from the shock. He quickly found himself gripping onto Akechi’s leg tightly, it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing at this point. Akira grew mute. He felt like his words were getting caught in his throat as Akechi continued to grind his foot down at an agonizing pace. Akira had to get him to stop, the searing pain was overwhelming him now. He forced out the words as tears filled his eyes.

 

“P-please Akechi! Fuck me until I can’t move! I-I’ll do anything! Akechi please...” Akira cried out, tears streaming down his face and he felt like he was gonna vomit, the pain was too much. 

 

“You’re such a fucking crybaby,” Akechi scoffed.

 

The brunette quickly took his foot away and shoved him back to make Akira release him, he was now looming over Akira. The sudden push made Akira nearly fall back again, but he managed to balance himself a second time. His body felt like it was burning up and his throat was was itchy from how dry and tense it was. The pain of being stepped on was subsiding, but the ache was still clawing at him. Looking up at Akechi, Akira could feel the unrestrained lust radiating from the other boy, it sent a wave of goosebumps across his skin to see the refined ace detective unravel this way. The cute flush of red stained Akechi’s face, but the stark contrast of his low grin gave off the look of a predator.

 

“But you did as I asked and you’ve always been so kind to me. I’ll reward you,” 

 

Akechi pulled Akira by the bangs of his hair and their lips crashed together, the light sting from the impact coupled with the dull pain behind his eyes from his headache put him in a daze. Akira began to feel the sudden probing of the brunette’s tongue against his lips, but at this point he couldn't resist. He wanted to act but his body felt like it was suspended in water and a current was taking him away. Akira wasn’t sure what his body was doing anymore he just knew he needed more from Akechi. When Akira finally allowed him in their tongues quickly melted together, a soothing warmth spread from the tip of his tongue to his lips, and every little bit of attention Akechi gave him helped distract him from everything and eased his pain. That moment of respite was cut short as Akechi withdrew his tongue and began to pull away. A thread of saliva connected them, but the lack of warmth made Akira unconsciously let out a low whine to call out to the other boy. His face felt like it was burning up and his eyes were begging for more, he looked so desperate. It was unbecoming of the leader of the Phantom Thieves, but he couldn’t help it.

 

Akira suddenly felt a quick shot of force on his chest that knocked him over when Akechi shoved him back. Akira was so caught off guard this time that he toppled over with no resistance. He felt Akechi begin tear away at his underwear and yank it downward, he was moving so much faster than Akira had anticipated. It was nerve wracking seeing Akechi act this way, he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His heart felt like it dropped to the pit of his stomach and a pin pricked every bit of his body. He was genuinely scared of Akechi, but the unknown aspects of this boy were equally alluring. At this point his thoughts were all jumbled up and messy, there was too much going on in his head. 

 

“Stay still,” Akechi’s voice penetrated his train of thought, bringing him back to reality.

 

Before Akira could even brace himself for whatever was coming he felt a wet finger slowly pushing against his opening. He was so quick that Akira hadn’t noticed when Akechi had gotten lube out. Akira's eyes widened as he stared down at the other boy’s actions. Akechi’s fingers were long and slim so they had no trouble exploring Akira's walls. Akira whined out a breathy sound, the sudden intrusion made him tense up. The brunette slowly slipped in another digit and pushed in deeper until his knuckles stopped him. It was easy for him to find Akira’s prostate while he was stretching him out. Akechi leaned forward onto him and lightly nipped at his earlobe, his breath burning against the sensitive flesh.

 

“You look so pretty like this,” the brunette laughed quietly, tugging on the tight ring of muscles while pressing against Akira’s prostate.

 

Akira gave a low moan as Akechi’s fingers scraped roughly against it, his eyes still wet with tears. He arched his back against the fingers inside him, the warm feeling inside him was intoxicating and his hole was twitching. Akira was panting and couldn't care less how he looked, all that mattered was him and Akechi. He could feel this faint knot in his belly and a weird desire he couldn't explain. He only knew that this wasn't enough.

 

“A-Akechi... ” Akira whined out between his moans, as Akechi started to thrust his fingers into Akira’s hole. He began to tighten around the fingers inside, his body practically pulling them in. His cock was wet with precum and his body was aching for more.

 

“I know, I know Akira, you did a good job. Be patient,” Akechi spoke softly, his soothing voice filled Akira’s head. Akechi pressed his lips against the black haired boy’s and pushed his tongue against Akira’s lips as he moved in between his legs. Akechi pulled his cock out and held it in his hand and positioned himself for Akira. Without hesitation, he pushed inside the weak boy beneath him. Akira’s ass was so loose and easily took him in with little resistance, but as Akechi pushed further inside Akira began to tense up.

 

Akechi let out a low moan and grit his teeth at the pressure, it was squeezing him so roughly. As he continued to push in he could feel his cock twitching inside the moaning Akira. The sensation of Akechi’s cock in him was addicting, he just needed more of that feeling. 

 

Akechi gripped at Akira’s hips and slammed into him. He started bucking his hips up into Akira and drew out soft mewls from him. The feeling of Akechi repeatedly ghosting over his prostate made him tighten up out of sheer desire for more. Akechi was trying to speed his rhythm, but Akira’s inner muscles were so taut it became impossible. 

 

“S-stop that! R-relax a little! You’re g-gonna make me cum too quickly!” Akechi exhaled roughly, his hair was disheveled and getting damp with sweat. Akira didn’t want this to end, not when he was this close. He needed something to distract Akechi so he could keep pounding into him without hesitation. Akira dug his nails into the other boy and ran them down his back, leaving bright red streaks. Akechi winced at the sudden burning on his back, the dull pain was quickly subsiding. Akira locked his legs around Akechi tightly and pulled him closer, the tense feeling in his gut was building. 

 

“A-Akechi! I-I’m gon-nah!” Akira’s words were cut off when he felt a sudden constriction around his neck. He opened his eyes wide to see Akechi looking back at him with a dark fire in his eyes. But once they made contact Akechi began to press his thumbs against Akira’s windpipe, it was stifling to say the least. The pain was heavy and the pressure on his throat was dense, the muscles in his neck strained in an attempt to resist. It felt like he was dying, the lack of air and inability to swallow his own saliva was frightening. Akira gripped onto the other boy’s wrists to ground himself. His fear was numbing the discomfort in his throat. As Akechi pressed harder the pain began to gradually subside, Akira’s eyelids began to flicker and he had trouble keeping his eyes on the other boy. 

 

The tense feeling of his body was leaving him, he felt soft and pliable like clay. Akechi continued to thrust into him, but this time with more ease. Akira’s body was relaxing for him, with the constriction no longer around his cock Akechi rammed into him without worry. Akechi was captivated by the thief below him, he had never seen him look this way before, it was disgusting and he looked like a complete mess. Akira’s mouth was hanging open and spit trickled down his face, he was completely out of it. Almost like he wasn’t there anymore, there was this cloudiness in his eyes that worried Akechi, but those same eyes appeared to beg for more. 

 

A faint smile crept up Akira’s face, this pain was something he enjoyed. He looked so pitiful smiling at his assailant, it pissed Akechi off. He wanted to keep fucking the oxygen-starved Akira until he managed to cry out through his crushed throat. He pressed more forcefully against Akira’s windpipe and fucked him harder, the sound of skin slapping filled his ears.

 

It felt so good, every part of Akira was twitching.

 

Akira seemed drugged up from the lack of air and stimulation of Akechi’s dick thrusting against his prostate. Akira’s body felt so vulnerable and weak, with his eyelashes still fluttering tears easily streamed down his face. His tongue was slightly sticking out from his struggled attempts to breathe. Akira’s nails dug into Akechi’s wrists as he choked down a moan whenever the cock inside him rubbed against his prostate. 

 

Everything was too much now. The edges of his vision were getting black and blurry, it nearly became impossible to see. The warm knot in his belly made his body start reacting on its own, he began to clench up on Akechi’s cock. He knew he was going to cum, but it didn’t feel right. It felt like something inside his head was stopping him. The dulling of his cognition made him feel like he was gone and pain behind his eyes from the lack of air only heightened that. Akira’s eyes felt like they were going to roll to the back of his head.

 

Akechi gave one last roll of his hips before releasing his grip on the boy. A sudden gasp of air clogged Akira’s throat and he screamed out in ecstasy. Like a jolt of electricity, all of Akira’s restrained senses came back. A wave of pleasure washed through him, his back arched and toes curled in response. He involuntarily tensed up all over and nearly spasmed from the shock. He couldn’t stop himself from cumming from the rush of stimulation. He continued to cry out a pitched moan as he released all over his stomach.

 

He was trying to swallow as much air as possible, but Akechi's continued thrusting made it difficult to maintain his breathing. Akira let out soft whines that filled the room as Akechi kept pounding into him faster than before. Akechi let out a low moan, knitting his brows in anticipation.

 

Akira’s body was so spent, the lower half of his body began to feel numb. His heart was working overtime and his senses were practically fried with how stimulated they all were. That numbness was quickly fading from the repeated rubbing of Akechi's cock inside him. It began to make his prostate so sensitive it felt like it was hurting. 

 

“W-wait! Ak-kechi! Stop-pah!” His own moans cut him off, it was hard to breathe while being fucked like this. Akechi wasn't stopping, it felt like he was moving faster inside him, but all Akira could do was tense up around the twitching cock inside him. His strength was gone, it hurt to resist anymore. 

 

Before he could beg him anymore to stop, Akechi lifted Akira's hips and continued to relentlessly fuck him. It felt like a switch in him had flipped. It suddenly felt so good to be stretched open like this, it was addicting and he wanted it to never end now. The pleasure was slowly spreading from his legs to the rest of his body, making his mind go numb but keeping his senses wide awake. The tilted angle made Akechi's cock hit Akira’s prostate head on, the cum pooled on his belly began to roll up his chest and fell to the sheets below him. Akechi gripped Akira’s cock and began to jerk him off, Akira let out breathy moans as the tight warmth in his gut was quickly building him up toward a second climax. Akira couldn’t control his body anymore, his legs were quivering and he had little strength to slow Akechi.

 

Akira couldn’t even begin to fight back his urge to cum again, he let out a pleasure filled scream and quickly came a second time. His inner walls tightened around Akechi’s cock, the sudden pressure and constriction from Akira made it impossible for Akechi to stop himself from cumming too. Akira felt the warmth of cum inside him, as the sound of Akechi’s moans filled his ears. Akira was twitching and his hole was tightening, his body refused to let go until Akechi was done, until his cum was filling him and the boy was stuffed.

 

Akira started to feel dizzy, his head hurt and his vision grew dark. Akechi’s face began to blur and mix with his surroundings. His muscles felt loose and his bones felt like jelly. Everything suddenly felt so calm, it felt like his emotions were shutting down.

 

~~~~

 

Akira shifted in his bed, everything felt cold and the room was silent. Akira blinked a few times trying to adjust his sight against the bright sunlight that pierced the window. Last night must’ve been a dream. A blush warmed his cheeks, he felt so lame having a wet dream about another person at this age. As his eyes and mind tried to catch up with one another, he sat up on the cold bed but when he looked around he felt his stomach drop. Akira’s eyes quickly focused on the slim figure looking back at him.

 

“You’re awake. Good. Welcome back my little guinea pig,” Takemi’s voice rang hard against his ears, “how are you feeling? Is anything sore?”

 

Akira was feeling so many things at once and wondering what happened. He thought he was in his room, had he spent time at the clinic and forgotten?

 

“W-wait, did we do another test?” Akira needed answers and it was scary to be this far in the dark.

 

Tae swiveled her chair to fully face the boy, crossed her legs, and gave a questioning smirk before raising her brow, “do you really not remember last night?” Akira's brain was working so slow, before he could tell her he didn’t know what was going on, she interrupted him with a light chuckle.

 

“Okay then, so for starters, please refrain from stealing drugs from me again. Secondly, if you’re gonna ask your boy toy to choke you, try to come up with more than just a safeword. Most people have signals as well, you know, you can’t really speak when you can’t breathe,” Takemi stood up and looked out into the clinic lobby as she spoke under her laughter. 

 

Akira didn’t even know what to think at that point, his thoughts were scattered. He couldn’t remember much from last night and this only raised more questions. He wanted to ask so many things, but his mind was racing. Again, Akira was too slow to respond, so the doctor continued to read his face instead.

 

“Oh, you’re probably wondering how you got here right? Well believe it or not, Boy Wonder out there brought your naked and knocked out body here,” she let out a snicker and continued, “he came storming in here a crying mess. I felt bad for the kid, he kept making those annoying crying hiccups so it was hard for me to figure out what happened. After a while he calmed down, but then he tried to sell me this convoluted story of how you met up with the Yakuza and then fell down a flight of stairs,” the doctor grinned from ear to ear and let out a low laugh. “He’s a pretty bad liar and I managed to get him to confess what really happened.” 

 

“Basically, your body just went through a sort of sensory overload and your brain thought you were dying,” she shot Akira a light hearted glare, “since you were drugged up you essentially had a panic attack and didn’t even know it, so you blacked out.” 

 

Takemi made her way toward the door and opened it, “he’s a lot stronger than I’d imagined, but you ought to thank him you know. You’re not very light,” she smiled and signaled for him to step out of the exam room, “Don’t worry, he’s asleep out there and you’re perfectly healthy to leave. Plus, he cried an awful lot for you,” Akira quickly got up and gave a thankful smile to the doctor. His grogginess was gone now so he had no trouble leaving the room. He made his way toward the lobby and immediately saw the detective resting on a chair. Akechi wore a warm smile, he looked so relaxed, but his tear stained cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes told a different story.

 

Akira bent down and placed a kiss on the apple of Akechi’s cheek.

  
“You’re such a crybaby.”


	2. Prologue Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay now we're picking up here haha! Please enjoy it!
> 
> Chapters typically won't be this short it's just that the prologue didn't feel quite complete and I wanted to round it out.

The silver haired doctor rapidly tapped her pen against the clipboard she was holding. The room had an odd silence to it as she processed what she had just been told. Akira was a little nervous, out of all the sessions he’d been in with her she’d never been at a loss for words.

 

“There is no way that could be true, come on now Akira. As your psychiatrist, I ask that you stay honest with me,” she stated, almost announcing her thoughts.

 

“Doctor Nijima, I promise you it’s not a lie! You think I’d lie about being choked out by a celebrity?”

 

“Okay so let me get this straight: you asked for an appointment with me after one whole week of missing our sessions because you had a group of friends who “steal people’s hearts” to make them live happier. It just so happens that the celebrity detective, Goro Akechi, was assigned to you. You had a deadline of seven days to help him, knowing you had to break contact afterwards, but instead you fell in love with him?”

 

Sae looked at him inquisitively, the tone of her voice was almost accusatory and with the sun cast on her face like a lamp it made this feel like an interrogation rather than a therapy session. Akira knit his brows in distaste, being doubted was frustrating. He never lied before, why would he suddenly change? Before Akira could continue to sulk, the doctor continued.

 

“Akira, I’m not here to listen to you brag about having sex with an idol,” Sae raised a brow to him, but when she saw his hurt look her tone quickly shifted. She could tell with how offended he looked that he must’ve been at least partially honest, she gave a sigh and continued, “fine, I’ll bite, but start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

The light sound of electronic tinging filled the quiet cafe. The strong aroma of curry and coffee made it hard to concentrate on the phone in front of Akira. It was suffocating, but a good kind of suffocating, the rich scent lingered in his nostrils. Sojiro always let them eat and hang out around the cafe before classes. Today he served them an Eastern Colombian roast paired with a sweet Western Japanese Pear curry, which they enjoyed at a small booth at the corner of the dining area. But before Akira could peacefully enjoy his meal, the quietness that once held the room was quickly broken by the loud tech girl yelling in frustration.

 

“Blah, blah, blah! All these hits are totally boring! We need a big wig to help out, not these noobs!” Futaba quickly tapped along her keyboard, scrolling though the list of requests. All of the requests were too small, people just wanted personal help, and not to help someone else in actual need. They were beginning to doubt how good of an idea it was to have open requests. Akira sipped his coffee and scrolled through his phone to fight off his boredom, there wasn’t any point fretting over having lame requests.

 

Suddenly Futaba let out a gasp, “oh man THIS is good! Lookie here, Akira! THE Goro Akechi just got requested!” The ginger haired girl bounced in her seat before turning the laptop to him, the ask box was filled with various requests, it was almost impossible to make sense of which she was talking about. Before he could make heads or tails of it, she briskly pointed to the corner of the bright lit screen.

 

 _Akechi-kun always looks sad now, please make him happy again!_  
_Akechi seems nice, but he’s always a loner. Save him!_

 

Goro Akechi, that famous detective? Akira’s palms began to sweat in anticipation and uncertainty, were these requests real? That was the kind of high profile target they needed, with their rise in popularity at their school shooting higher was only natural. He knew that this was their chance at making a mark. The only thing that worried him was the idea of going after a detective, isn’t it their job to find secrets out?

 

“We gotta go after him! He’s the perfect target,” Futaba could barely contain herself, a grin plastered to her face, “you’re the perfect candidate to steal his heart too!” She thrust her finger at him and gave his nose a light boop as she spoke.

 

“W-what, why me?” Akira was completely caught off guard, wouldn’t someone like Ann be better? She could be a real friend and could use her signature charm to open him up. Hell, even Makoto would’ve been a better choice. Before Akira could protest, Futaba continued her announcement

 

“It’s decided! Aki-chan, I choose you!” she smiled brightly, flipped the computer around and began to type away like before. “Don’t worry, I know you’re gonna do great. You’re funny and nice! Oh, and super easy to talk to, since you don’t talk much and all,” at this point she wasn’t even looking at him as she spoke, she was too busy announcing the new target to the others. “Plus, if we send a girl he’ll know they have an agenda!”

 

She made a convincing argument, since he didn’t have any crazy dyed hair like his fellow thieves he went pretty incognito to the general public and Akechi wouldn’t have a clue. That, coupled with the fact that he was probably the only one with enough guts to actually talk to a celebrity without acting like a weird fan. Akira took a deep breath and before he could accept the request, his phone began to vibrate.

 

 _Nice dude! You got this! -Ryuji_  
_Do your best! -Ann_  
_Give him a magnificent performance. -Yusuke_

 

Akira was honestly pretty surprised how quick Futaba was able to tell everyone, let alone how quick they were to give him words of encouragement. His phone just wouldn’t stop now, this group chat they had was now just filling with endless banter from his friends.

 

 _Akira, if you need any help I’m available -Makoto_  
_Wait, no pick me! I’m way cooler! -Ryuji_  
_Is that any way to talk to your senpai? -Ann_  
_True, technically I am your senpai. -Makoto_

 

Akira smiled before turning his phone over so it was face down on the table, “okay Futaba, I can handle this. Leave it to me!” He gave her his signature grin, grabbed his phone, and got out of the booth, all this talk got him fired up.

 

“So, you got a plan?”

 

“Nah, I was just gonna wing it,” Akira answered, not an ounce of doubt in his voice. Futaba smiled back in response, a part of her knew to completely trust him at times like this. He probably already had some crazy plan in his head anyways, it’d be best to just not get in his way.

 

Akira made his way outside, the sun cast down with heavy rays, he turned on his phone and looked though his list of confidants. The phone beeped quickly as he started the call. Ichiko Ohya, the loose-lipped reporter. She was his best bet for some intel and a way to get closer to this so-called ace detective.

 

“Hello? Ohya? Yeah it’s Akira, I’ve got a favor to ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the stage has been set! I hope you're as excited to read this as I am to write this! 
> 
> Again, chapters typically won't be this short it's just that the prologue didn't feel quite complete and I wanted to round it out.


	3. Sweet Beginnings (Day 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of Ohya, Akira manages to steal some of Akechi's time and introduces himself; but as he gets to know the detective he realizes that Akechi is a lot more different than he expected.

Akira exhaled a low yawn, he stood behind the counter and listened to his own breathing over the light chatter of the few customers present. He hated that about mornings working at the Leblanc, everything was slow. The cafe was cold and lacked the same energy it had on busy days.

 

Akira absentmindedly played with the knot on the back of his apron and hummed a weak tune; any minute now Akechi should be showing up. Akira could feel goosebumps speckle his body, it was weird to be meeting a celebrity, even under circumstances like this. He opened his phone and looked through his message history with Ohya to calm himself.  

 

_So I got you some time with Mr. Detective. Told him to meet at 7:30. -Ohya {Sent 6:28AM}_

_Why do you wanna see him again? -Ohya {Sent 6:28AM}_

 

_No reason. -Akira {Read 6:30AM}_

 

_Geez kid, you’re not gonna tell me again are you? -Ohya {Sent 6:30AM}_

_Fine -Ohya {Sent 6:31AM}_

_Just remember you said you’d get free drinks for me! -Ohya {Sent 6:31AM}_

 

_Got it! Thanks! -Akira {Read 6:35AM}_

 

_Actually, wait -Ohya {Sent 6:36AM}_

_Before I forget -Ohya {Sent 6:36AM}_

_You wanted some media intel on him, right? -Ohya {Sent 6:37AM}_

_Well he’s got this rumor about him, it’s kinda weird. Basically, people say he’ll date anyone who asks. But here’s the catch, apparently he breaks up with them in a few days after. Something like a week’s time. The even weirder part is people always say they loved the one week they had with them. -Ohya {Sent 6:38AM}_

_You there? -Ohya {Sent 6:46AM}_

_Hello? -Ohya {Sent 6:50AM}_

_Fine, whatever. Just remember drinks are on you, I told Lala you promised! -Ohya {Sent 6:54AM}_

 

Convenient. Akira thought to himself, if he asked the detective out they’d both be running on a one week deadline. Plus, the inevitable break up would make leaving easier.

 

Suddenly, a sharp ringing from the bell atop the door cut through the quiet cafe, even though Akira was expecting company a part of him was still caught off guard. Now wasn’t the time to be nervous, he had a job to do and the first step was making a killer cup of coffee to impress the boy.

 

As Akechi stepped through the door, Akira couldn’t help but stare. The boy had this aura about him that practically screamed ‘look at me!’ On top of that, his outfit was odd; wearing a sweater vest in this weather must’ve been exhausting Akira thought to himself. Before Akira could continue to judge his poor clothing choices their eyes made contact during Akechi’s inital scan of the room.

 

He must’ve been looking for Ohya. Akira felt a little bad for tricking him like this, but he knew that he was going to help Akechi. And that’s all that mattered. That was how the plan always went; be his friend, help him be happy, teach him optimism, and then disappear.

 

As Akechi finally realized Ohya wasn’t there, his phone suddenly made a light beep. Everything was going perfectly. Ohya definitely held up her end of the bargain and now it was time to spring into action.

 

Akira put on a warm smile and gestured to the detective.

 

The clacking of Akechi’s dress shoes filled the room as he hesitantly found his way toward the barista, he looked unsure of himself. The booths were filled so Akechi didn’t have the option to sit anywhere else but at the counter.

 

Akira gave Akechi a grin as the boy sat down onto the stool in front of him. “Well look at you,” Akira’s tone held an erotic air to it, “you’re definitely the hottest person here.”

 

Akechi’s face flared up with a blush. “Wh-what did you...” he stuttered out, he looked like he was choking on his own breath. Before he could panic anymore, Akira continued

 

“Want an iced coffee? You’re probably burning up in that sweater.”

 

In that moment, Akira could’ve sworn he heard something close to a yelp but also something like a squeak. Akechi looked somewhere between angry, embarrassed, and sad; but Akira could tell he was trying to play it cool.

 

Akechi cleared his throat, “Y-yeah!” he struggled out, before feigning a smile, trying to buy time to let his face cool down.

 

Akira turned to grab a pitcher behind him, before filling a tall glass with the dark liquid. Akechi seemed like the type to like sweet things, so Akira made sure to bring him back something to that caliber.

 

“So, what brings a pleasant boy like you to this tiny cafe?” Akira asked, his tone was almost rudely sarcastic; he wasn’t even facing Akechi while he mixed cream and sweetener to the cup.

 

“O-oh!” the brunette still seemed skittish, “I-I uh… had to meet with someone for my birthday, it ended up getting cancelled though.”

 

Akira giggled as he turned to give the cup to the brunette, “Ah! So it wasn’t your choice to come here,” he gave a lighthearted smile and continued, “and I’m sorry to hear about the birthday plans and all.”

 

Before they could stew in the awkward air, Akira wore his signature smirk and gestured for Akechi to take a sip.

 

“It’s okay, you’ll like it. Promise.”

 

The barista stared into Akechi’s soul as lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. Akira knit his brows and watched like a hawk, trying to study his face for a reaction. Suddenly, Akechi loudly cleared his throat, breaking Akira’s concentration.

 

“Excuse me, Mr. Barista. I’m trying to enjoy my coffee here,” his sarcastic tone filled Akira’s head.

 

Akira blinked a few times and shook his head to wake himself up. He let out a light chuckle, “uh my bad,” he said before clearing his throat, “g-good right?”

 

Akechi nodded and gave Akira a vibrant smile, “It’s great!” his warm smile put Akira at ease, “you don’t have to worry,”

 

Akira let out a mental sigh of relief, having someone you needed to impress with a drink was oddly nerve wracking. He smiled back before putting his elbow on the countertop and resting his chin on the palm of his hand. He wasn’t about to show his weak side.

 

“Not worrying,” Akira chuckled slyly, “just thinkin’ about how a pretty boy like you got stood up on their birthday. A celebrity no less!”

 

Akechi was attractive, Akira knew he was being a little pushy and too forward. It made sense why people would constantly ask Akechi out, he had this hidden allure to him. Akira hadn’t ever had a target like this before; most of his targets for thief work weren’t necessarily looking to date him, so he never had to worry before. He could tell there was an attraction in the air, so it was hard not to play it up. And it was even harder since, Akechi was trying to be suave too; it was only natural to one-up at every opportunity.

 

A faint blush tinted Akechi’s face as his eyes avoid contact with Akira’s, “It’s not like that, I- uh had an interview. She’s nice so I thought maybe she wanted to just spend time together...”

 

“Oh? Well then, I can interview you too you know,” Akira raised a brow and continued, “name’s Akira and I work here part time to cover for the owner when he has to be away. Hmmm, let’s see… what else?”

 

While Akira pondered what to bring up, he couldn’t help but think about how Akechi was a lot more shy than he was expecting. He looked so prim and proper on television and on top of that, he seemed much more confident on there as well.

 

Akira tapped his finger on his cheek, unsure what else to say, “I can play the piano pretty well and uh- I’m kinda a cat person.”

 

He glanced over at Akechi, concerned he might’ve been boring the other boy. Before he could worry anymore, Akechi smiled back once their eyes met and began to speak.

 

“I’m Goro Akechi, but you probably knew that already. I’m- um...” he paused, before letting out a chuckle, “I guess I don’t mind cats, but I can’t say I have the ability to play instruments.”

 

Akira couldn’t help but laugh loudly, not caring about the looks he got.

 

It felt like it was just them in the cafe, like all the chatter was gone. Akira enjoyed doing Phantom Thief work. It made him feel like he wasn’t so alone all the time, like he had all the friends in the world. Akira didn’t want to spend his life worrying about things, so work like this was a good distraction.

 

“So what’s detective work like?” Akira said as he began to wipe down a wet part of the countertop, “got any new leads?”

 

Akechi couldn’t help but laugh loudly, “New leads? I just stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I guess you could say I’m close to solving a case. Unfortunately, my colleagues haven’t been much help...” he said, wearing a disappointed look.

 

“Aw, poor thing.” Akira patted the boy’s shoulder, “Fuck the police.” he said playfully.

 

Akechi let out a laugh, “No, no it wasn’t all that bad! Plus, I don’t think you should be saying that; you sound like a criminal,” he paused “It’s just…”

 

Akechi paused a second time, unsure how to phrase it.

 

“I mean, I like working with the police force, but…”  His voice began to lower and his tone shifted, “I just feel like at times they don’t listen.”

 

He looked almost hurt, like he needed to be comforted. Akira could sense the shift in mood as Akechi spoke, but before he could do or say anything Akechi continued.

 

“H-hey, uh- so what time do you usually open?” An awkward air filled the room, Akira knew he was trying to act like nothing was bothering him.

 

“Y-yeah, seven,” Akira hastily replied, still caught off guard by the sudden change of topic.

 

“T-thanks, could I- uh see you again?”

 

Akira gave Akechi a warm smile, “of course, unless the place burns down or somethin’”

 

Akechi smiled back and began to get up, they hadn’t spent much time talking. Where did he need to go? Akira was worried he made him uncomfortable, why did he suddenly need to leave? Akria’s body moved on it’s own and grabbed Akechi’s hand.

 

“Wait!”

 

Akechi looked down at their hands before looking up at Akira, a light blush warmed his face up.

 

“W-what?” Akechi asked, looking like a deer in headlights.

 

Akira swallowed down the lump in his throat, “Y-your interview thingy was planned out today. Since they cancelled and all, why not hang out with me?” he felt weird doing this, but he needed to get closer to him. “Wanna, you know, get breakfast? You’re not busy are you?”

 

“Uh- oh- I, um, s-sure!” Akechi blurted in a panic.

 

“Great!” Akira began to untie his apron and made his way around the counter, “The owner’s in the back so he won’t mind. Where’d you wanna go? I dunno the area too well, so it’s up to you!”

 

Akechi’s face was covered in a cherry red tint, his blush was so vibrant it looked like he had an illness. Akira could tell he wasn’t used to someone _this_ forward. Akira gave Akechi a reassuring smile, like he was making a promise to make his day better.

 

“L-let’s go to this pancake place,” Akechi stammered out “I, uh, I like it a lot.”

 

Akira gave a soft smile, “I could tell you had a sweet tooth,” he grabbed his hand again and pulled him toward the door leading to the sunlit sidewalk, “let’s go!”

 

“W-wait!” Akechi said, almost sounding like he had forgotten how to speak, “what about the drink?”

 

“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it! It’s your birthday!” Akira laughed, “my treat!”

 

Akira pulled the nervous detective along, smiling all the way there, not caring that they were blatantly holding hands. Akechi blindly followed him along toward the street, hopefully he couldn’t feel how sweaty his hand was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Akechi, sorry to have Ohya bail on you like that lmao. 
> 
> I'm so sorry this took so long to update this time around, I ended up writing two other fics haha but this baby is still my main squeeze! 
> 
> Thanks for reading up to this point! All of your support and love is so appreciated! I love you guys and I just want a happy ending for Akechi!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading to the end! I really hope you liked it! Comments and kudos are super appreciated! 
> 
>  
> 
> Feel free to say "hi" in the comments or at my blog: http://ffxv-edits.tumblr.com/


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